EDA News Centre

Students are sharpening their pencils and heading back to school.

Why not join them?

The schedule for our Community Economic Development Training Program is up and that means right now you can register for classes this fall and into 2023.

Plan ahead! By clicking the links below you can read more and register for:

• Economic Development Establishing the Foundation

• Business and Investment Attraction

• Business Retention and Expansion  
  

These courses are convenient as they are available online through the University of Calgary. 

Make a commitment to yourself to increase your knowledge and advance your skill set; it will ultimately benefit your community. 

Don't forget credits earned can be applied to your professional designation.

Also, there are certificates you can earn. Read more here. 

At EDA Xperience 2023 Leaders' Summit and Conference, we are offering post secondary students the chance to register at a special rate.

EDA recognizes the importance of engaging the leaders of tomorrow and providing them with the opportunity to meet and interact with seasoned economic development professionals and business and community leaders from across Alberta, Canada and around the world. 

If you are a post secondary student or know of one who aspires having a direct hand in some day shaping and improving their communities then attending EDA Xperience 2023 is an excellent opportunity. 

Delegates will be provided with information about Alberta’s current and emerging sector opportunities, updates on economic development issues and trends, best practices, inspiring keynote addresses, interactive in-person and virtual networking opportunities.

Registration is open for in person and online student delegates. Space is limited for in person student registration. (student id will be required) 

Register here 

Sponsor a Student 

Consider sponsoring a student to attend EDA Xperience 2023.

If your business or organization would like to cover the registration fee for a student or a group of students, you will receive special recognition.

Please email nancy.toombs@edaalberta.ca to register your students. 

If you are an elected official or work with these community leaders join us Wednesday, September 7 from noon to 1PM. 

In the next FREE webinar in our Webinar Wednesday Series, we will take you on a deep dive into an important resource we offer: our Economic Development for Elected Officials Course.

Elected officials have a unique position in economic development as their influence can effect change and promote a strategic vision of economic growth for their community.

But...how...?

This webinar will show you how EDA answers that fundamental question.  

Plus we will give you a sneak peek into concrete and practical tools you can use in your community right now. 

Join us. 

Economic Development for Elected Officials 

Wednesday, September 7

12:00 - 1:00 PM

FREE - Online

Register 

It's the height of the summer tourist season and if you're in the economic development space, you may be thinking: "how can we shine a spotlight on our local businesses and encourage visitors and residents to explore the exciting and unique features of our communities?"

EDA has the answer! 

Our Xperience Alberta APP enables you to create your own, branded App for your community.

You can customize it to profile the attributes in your region you want to highlight. 

Maybe you want to profile a walking tour of historical sites; or farm tours; perhaps profile an ale trail that encourages visitors to explore local breweries. And those are just a few suggestions!! 

One unique feature of the Xperience Alberta App is the ability to incentivize users to redeem points when they make purchases. This helps drive traffic and sales for local businesses. 

Read more by clicking this link and sign up for your license today.

The Xperience Alberta App is available as a result of a licensing agreement between EDA and 468 Communications, the platform provider for this technology.  

To support shop local initiatives and tourism, this platform from 468 Communications allows municipalities to maintain their own branded mobile apps, and reward users for visiting places in the community.  

This opportunity is available to all Albertans; you don't need to be an EDA member to acquire this APP.

Here is the link to the report called 'Nature-positive Economic Development for Southwest Alberta' that was presented in our recent Wednesday Webinar.

This work, informed by southwest Alberta communities, offers an approach to diversifying the region's economy, while also supporting nature. 

From 2020 to 2022, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) worked with Alberta-based Stormy Lake Consulting to facilitate research and discussions with local towns, municipal districts, and Indigenous groups on ways the region could attract long-term economic growth while maintaining its natural beauty and supporting watershed protection. 

This is called 'nature-positive' economic development - a global movement to recognize the value of nature, place it on the path of regeneration and recovery, and transform our shared world to one where people, economies and nature thrive together. 

Click here to read the Executive Summary. 

You can download it and the full report on Y2Y’s website at y2y.net/NaturePositiveAB.  

Local communities, businesses and economic development authorities can use the report in planning and development. The report can serve as an information source for communities and economies looking to support good, stable jobs, while preserving clean water and healthy, intact landscapes for generations to come. 

Please direct your questions or comments directly to:

Josh Welsh: Josh@y2y.net

Patty Richards: Patty@y2y.net

To watch the webinar, Click this link. It will take you to EDATV our YouTube Channel.

Summer may be in full swing but at EDA it's full steam ahead planning for our Ministry Dinner in October! 

Held in person at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel October 19, this dinner gives EDA members the opportunity to network with key ministry representatives from the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada to ask questions, share ideas and explore potential partnerships. 

We've been holding this event since 2015 (and adapted the format to online Ministry Meetups during the pandemic) and we are excited to be in person once again.

Each year this dinner has sold out so be sure to register today as tickets are already going fast. 

Register for the 2022 Ministry Dinner here

Sponsorships Available 

Become a sponsor of this event and earn the recognition of your peers for your commitment to and leadership in the economic development community. 

Read more about the 2022 Ministry Dinner and the sponsorship package by clicking this link 

Mother Nature is reminding us that June is flood season in Alberta. And, as we know, natural disasters are unpredictable and can strike at any time with consequences to the economies of communities. 

Be prepared. 

While many may feel helpless in the face of a crisis, EDA can help you to prepare your communities to help lessen the damage to your local economies. 

Download our FREE Economic Disaster Resilience and Recovery Toolkit. It has key resources and best practice information.

We also have hard copies of this toolkit. 

It is an excellent resource to have on hand for your economic development professionals and members of your Council.

It is also available by clicking the link above.

Sign up for our Economic Disaster Resilience and Recovery training available as a one-day in person workshop and online. 

We also have a list of Tips for Alberta Business and Community Leaders as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Plus, we are currently working on a 2022 Ukraine Economic Recovery Project.  

Our Webinar Wednesday Series features three upcoming webinars that will deliver information on important initiatives in our province:

• An update on the Province's rural economic development stakeholder discussions
  
• A program to support rural women entrepreneurs in the tech space
  
• Plus you'll hear about a real world example of navigating that sweet spot of environmental protection and economic prosperity.
  

All Webinars are FREE. 

Mark your calendars and register. You will receive log in information directly to your inbox.

Rural Economic Development Update

Wednesday, June 22

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Join us for an update from the Province of Alberta on their Rural Economic Development stakeholder discussions.

Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Tech 

Wednesday, June 29

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Join us and Suzanne Ebelher, Program Director for Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Tech (RWEIT) to learn more about this new province-wide program.

Balancing the Environment with Economic Prosperity

Wednesday, July 6

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Join us to learn about the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and how economic opportunities can protect  natural areas and  strengthen local financial resources.

It is recognized as the gold standard of U.S. – Canada relations.

The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is holding its 2022 Annual Summit in Calgary July 24-28 and EDA is proud to be a community partner. 

There are a couple of unique opportunities for EDA Members.

There is a discount on your registration; plus you have the opportunity to host your own table. 

EDA members, please check your inbox for the the EDA Members only code to get your discount. Plus details on how to host your town table. 

EDA Ministry Dinner

Wednesday, October 19 

Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel

Our EDA Ministry Ministry Dinner will be in person !

In order for the event to be a success, we are looking for event sponsors.

Plus, you need to register to attend early as space is limited. The purpose of the event is to bring together EDA members with specific government Ministers to network, share information and explore potential partnerships. 

This is an EDA member only event and a perk to membership! Become an EDA Member here.